On the nights of May 8 and 10, myself and a friend attended a camera workshop sponsored through Red Deer College’s Continuing Education program.
As you would expect, I drove to the college due to its distance from my home (Lacombe). I found several parking lots available none of them with more than a few cars each. On our last night, May 10, I received the college’s ‘Thank-you’ note on my windshield. We were both stunned and began looking around for No Parking signs. None were visible either in the parking lot or the entrances to them.
Now there may be something somewhere that says No Parking but it is not, by any stretch of the imagination, obvious.
My point is this: I felt badly treated. I was a paying customer of your business, I parked in an all-but-deserted parking lot, denying no one the ability to park as well.
I’m sure that the college Continuing Education Department is in the business to make money, as well as serving a community need. Your advertising is bringing people from great distances to participate in these programs, and most of them will be unfamiliar with the college’s rules and practises, as was I.
I urge you to reconsider the ticketing of after-hour users. There is no need for the parking space (as I’m sure you know) and you have more to lose in lost business than can be gained in fine revenue.
Your practises today remind me of the of the old-fashion speed traps, where towns needing extra revenue would enact an artificial speed limit to entrap unwary tourists, thus picking up some extra revenue.
Not a reputation that any business or community would want.
Not withstanding the above, I will pay this ticket, reluctantly, and hope that my thoughts have not fallen on deaf ears.
Donovan King
Lacombe
PS. I wouldn’t refuse a refund of my fine, should it be forthcoming.